Little did she know...

i had this song stuck in my head after this weekend.  and then i got stuck looking up hlokoloza videos. and then it was just one long night of S.A. dance party in my living room. the cheese quality of this video bothers me, but ya know. beggars can't be choosers.

Twenty twelve was quite possibly the fastest year of my life.  I got back from South Africa and have spent countless days missing and thinking about and missing my roommate, the kids, the mammas, the church, the dudes who kept me laughing and made me feel welcome, and the crazy taxi drivers (no, really).  I went on an amazing ski trip with some work buddies. And had the most memorable birthday of my life (besides being born, that is). I added some metal to my leg and got a ride in an ambulance on the other side.  I (finally) got back in the swing of work and made some more great memories with my work buddies. I also got to know all the words to some of the most annoying pop songs of the summer. (thanks, Nate. thanks, Mitch. thanks, Brandon.)  I made it to KC twice and loved every second of the short friend reunions in one of my favy cities. I also got to tour a brand new Mormon temple, which is a rare occurrence, indeed. (we had to wear little whit...

a year ago i was excited to the point of no sleep, checking off endless mental lists, second guessing packing, wondering what in the world i had gotten myself into, so stoked to be getting on a plane to Joburg.  nothing i had read or watched or asked about could prepare me for the exchange of Google maps for tangible streets. i spent some exciting days at SIM headquarters in Charlotte, NC getting debriefed and prayed for and encouraged and cautioned and discipled in preparation for leaving the US and being immersed in a different culture halfway across the world. i was about to leave the country and the people that i knew best for a whole different way of life. at the start, three months seemed like a forever long period of time. however, by the last week of craziness in the life that i had adapted to, three months seemed like i had blinked and suddenly it was over. nothing had prepared me for coming. nothing could prepare me for leaving. it was one of the hardest weeks of ...

Dear Sarah,  Howzit???? Eish, babba, it has been looooooooooooooong! ;)  I came across this picture the other day, and I know you'll probably hate me for putting it on here, but IT MADE ME LAUGH. so.hard. Because it's so typical of what a normal evening looked like at 78. Every time we would let a kid borrow the camera, this would be the last shot. "Ok, Lebo, give back the camera now. No, I said ONE more picture, not 5 more pictures." HAHA I miss morning toast on the way to pick up Unathi. And singing at the top of our lungs. And dancing in the car. And feet on the dashboard. And waving at Uncle Philly as he took Nelly, Nkosi and Thebogo the opposite direction. I miss "getting lost" in the kombi and trying not to forget anything at Fruits and Veg. Also, trying not to run into anybody because it was so full of people. I miss smelling the amazing braai every time, and being SO HUNGRY, but having to wait to eat until all the food was divided up. Rem...

So, I have this problem. An addiction, if you will. It starts with "t" and rhymes with "gravel." I have been going through withdrawals a lot recently, especially since I realized that this is the longest consecutive time in the last year that I have not been in an airport. (i know, i know, first world problems)  Since I have been obsessing over photo blogs, travel magazines, reminiscing to the point of annoying, creeping fb pictures and looking over my own pictures to the point of memorization, I thought I would post the highlights from trips I was able to make last year. There are a lot of pictures. Be forewarned. Brasil: technically not last year. it was, in fact, Dec. 2010, but it was the first of many trips to follow. I didn't know then that I would be going back to Brasil in just 7 months.  The Pierre and I went to visit my brother and his fam that I had not seen for two years. Never did a hug feel so good. And never did 2 people have so m...

Life is such a crazy thing.  I was reminiscing the other day about this time last year and how much had already happened and how much I had planned and how much adventure there was to be had. If I say "a lot," that doesn't even come close.  I had the a.freaking.mazing opportunity to travel all over the US and to two different continents last year... This year? Well.... I broke my leg. And as far as any other plans for the future? Well... I broke my leg. This has been the unexpected, all consuming adventure for 2012. And, in these past 3ish months (!!!) God has been teaching me about contentment and trust and patience and grace. Which, if I think about it, seem to be recurring themes in the life of Liz Johnson. Hmmmm... probably because I have the "I got this" complex, wherein I think that I am in perfect control and command of a situation and therefore don't need to worry God about it. HA. Ridiculous, no?  Which is why celebrating the grace and mercy ...

These days it sneaks up on me, this heart-aching nostalgia for the people and the places that I said goodbye to over three months ago. It's not like I don't have constant reminders of the little people that invaded any sort of privacy I assumed I had. Their pictures are on display all over my house. Their voices and faces are easily summoned from my netbook. And the soundtrack to my every day commute lies ready waiting only for the play button to be pushed.  However, it's the little details like the drive to school, the security guards, the trees, the speed bumps, the super annoying/loud birds that I hated then butI would love to hear again, the voices of the kids and the mammas waking me up before my alarm, the rain on my head in the middle of the night because I forgot to close the window, sirens, people at the robots, my favorite beggar and his hat and sliding down the deserted halls of the shopping center when we're bored on a weekend night that catch me t...

One fine Saturday afternoon, Sarah and I took the Gautrain to Sandton with no particular goal in  mind. Which meant that we got lost in  walked around the massive shopping center for a bit and then ended up on the stairs in the square with coffee and pastries to people watch. It was perfect. The ride home on the train was a whole different adventure and story for another time... or maybe we'll just let that be a "what happens on the Gautrain stays on the Gautrain." Right, Sarah? ;)  I miss summer and sunshine on my bare shoulders. Hurry up, spring!